Automatic-release hook.



A. F. MAZOCH & E. SL ADECEK.

AUTOMATIC RELEASE HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I5, 1916- 1,2]L%,98%, Patented. Jan. 16, 1917.

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A. F. MAZOCH & E. SLADECEK.

AUTOMATIC RELEASE HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. 191B.

1 %1%,9@%, I Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

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TlTT @Tit ANTON F. MAZOCH AND EDWARD SLADECEK, 0F GRANGER, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC-RELEASE HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

Application filed. June 15, 1916. Serial No. 103,906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ANTON F. MAzooH and EDWARD SLAoncEK, both citizens of the United States, residing at Granger, county of Williamson, and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic-Release Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic release hooks, and has for its object to provide anexceedingly simple and effective device of this character, whereby the object suspended from said hooks may be readily, quickly and automatically released when the suspended object is in the proper place whether in midair, upon the ground, or some object such as a platform or vehicle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character comprising a pair of hook members, each member composed of a pair of hooks preferably formed together and provided with guards for their pointed ends, said guards being pivoted to the hooks and actuated by a spring to normally force the protecting ends of said guards beyond the pointed ends of the hooks, said guards being used as releasers for the hooks when the weight of the object suspended is relieved from said hooks, said guards being drawn back from the points of the hooks by a suitable cam and lever, the latter being drawn away from the guards by the connecting chains as said hooks with the object to be lifted is suspended or raised.

With these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, we will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which Figure 1, is a side elevation of our improvided automatic release hooks showing an object in dotted lines to illustrate the manner of the use of the hooks. Fig. 2, is an enlarged side elevation of one of the hook members with a portion of its chain, illustrating the parts in their relative positions when the hooks are to be inserted in an object. Fig. 3, is an end or plan view thereof. Fig. 4, is a section at the line 4 1 of Fig. 2;

and Fig. 5, is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, a portion of the cam lever being broken away.

In carrying out our invention as here embodied 2 represents the hook members, two of which are utilized in the construction of our invention as here shown, and each hook member comprises twin hooks 3 formed from a single piece of metal, bent to produce an attaching eye 1, said metal diverging for a short distance from this eye as at 5, and then running parallel as at 6 to form a space for the spring housing from which point the hook arms 7 diverge and are produced areuate in shape, said hook arms terminating in tines 8 which are smaller than the hook arms 7, thereby producing a shoulder 9 in the back of each of the hook arms. To each of the hook arms 7 is pivoted a guard 10 which also acts as a releasing member by means of a rivet 11 or its equivalent, and each of these guards comprises a long arm 12 approximately corresponding to the shape of the hook arms, the outer arms of which are formed at right angles to produce a tine shield 13 having a hole 14: therein, through which the tines project when the device is to be placed upon an object, and a short arm 15 projecting rearwardly' the outer end of which lies approximately at right angles to form a finger 16. The fingers 16 of the pair of guards carried by each hook member project into the housing 17 adjacent each other, said housing being U shaped or comprising two parallel side walls 18 and an end arm 19, and this housing is situated between the parallel parts or shank 6 of the hook member, and is secured in place by rivets 20 or their equivalent passing through the side Walls 18 and the parallel portions 6 of the hooks. The end wall 19 of the housing is provided with a spring centering and retaining member 21 which registers with one end of the helical spring 22 situated within the housing and provided at its other end with a bearing member 23 adapted to engage the fingers 16 of the guards 10, said spring acting so as to normally throw the outer ends of the guards 10 or the tine shields forming a part thereof beyond the tines 8, so that said tines will be prevented from coming in contact with a person or object, thereby reducing the likelihood of danger to a minimum. Between the side walls of the housing 17 is jo-urnaled a cam 24 by means of a bolt 25 and nut 26 or their equivalent, and this cam is actuated by a cam lever 27 carried by the cam and preferably formed integral therewith, and when formed integral the extension of said cam lever forms a rib 28 to the rear of the cam face, and this rib is provided with a hole 29 through which passes the connecting link 30, said link being attached to the auxiliary loop 31 of the key-link 32, the larger loop 33 of which is attached to the eye e of the hook member, and to the chain 34. The chains of both of the hook members are attached to a single ring 35 to which is secured the attaching hook 36 of a hoisting cable, scale or other lifting or holding device.

The operation of the device is as follows :-The cam lever 27 is thrown down to actuate the cam 24 against the action of the spring 22, so that the guards 10 are actuated to draw the tine shield 13 over the tines 8 to the position shown in Fig. 2, at which time the tines may be inserted in the object to be lifted. WVhen the parts just referred to are in the position described and shown in Fig. 2, the end of the larger loop of the keylink 32 will be out of engagement with the eye a of the hook member, but as soon as the chains 34 are drawn taut, caused by the lifting of the object to which the hook members are atached, the keylink 32 will be drawn toward the upper or outer end of the hook-eye and through the medium of the auxiliary loop 31 and the connecting link 30 the cam lever 27 will be raised and the cam 24 actuated to disengage the cam face from the fingers 16 of the guards 10 as plainly shown in Fig. 1. When the parts are in these positions the weight of the object shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 will prevent the spring 22 from actuating the guards 10, but when the weight is relieved caused either by the slackening of the suspending cable in midair or by the suspending object coming in contact with an object such as a platform or vehicle, the spring 22 will actuate the guards 10, causing them to push the hooks away from the object to which they are attached, so that the tines of said hooks will be withdrawn or released from the object and since the tine shields 13 will then project beyond the pointed ends of said tines, the chance of injury to a person or object will be very slight.

Of course we do not wish to be limited to the eXact details of construction as herein shown, as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and useful, is-

1. An automatic release hook comprising two hook members, flexible means for supporting and joining said hook members, spring actuated pivoted guards for said hook members, means for moving and temporarily holding the guards beyond the ends of the hook members and means operated by the flexible connecting means for releasing the last named means.

2. In a device of the character stated, a P

pair of hook members each comprising twin hooks, guards for said hook members, means for automatically operating said guards in one direction, means for actuating said guards in the other direction, and flexible means connected with the last named means for releasing the same and with the hook members for supporting them and joining them together.

3. In a device of the character stated, a hook, supporting means for said hook connected thereto, a spring actuated guard for the hook, a cam for operating the guard against the action of the spring and means connected to the supporting means and the cam for releasing said cam.

4-. In a device of the character stated, a hook,a guard therefor,a spring for actuating said guard in one direction, a cam for actuating said guard in the opposite direction, and means connected to the hook and cam for supporting the hook and releasing the cam.

5. In a device of the character stated, a pair of hook members each comprising twin hooks consisting of an eye, diverging portions projecting from said eye, parallel portions or shanks, diverging arcuate hook arms terminating in tines smaller than the arms, thereby forming shoulders, guards pivoted to said hook arms, means for normally forcing said guards in that direction which will cause them to project beyond the ends of the tines, a cam for forcing the guards in the opposite direction, and means connected to the eye of the hook member and to the cam for supporting and joining the hook members, and releasing the cams.

6. In a device of the character stated, a pair of hook members each comprising twin hooks consisting of an eye, diverging portions projecting from said eye, parallel portions or shanks, diverging arcuate hook arms terminating in tines smaller than the arms, thereby forming shoulders, a guard pivoted to each hook arm, each guard comprising a long arm having its outer end lying at right angles to the body thereof and provided with a tine receiving opening and a short arm projecting rearwardly and terminating in a finger at approximately right angle thereto, means coacting with said fingers for normally forcing the guards in that direction which will force the tine shields beyond the ends of the tines, a cam for forcing said guards in the opposite direction, and means connected to the eyes of the hook member for supporting and joining said hook members and connected to the cams for releasing the same.

7. In a device of the character stated, a pair of hook members each comprising twin hooks consisting of an eye, diverging portions projecting from said eye, parallel portions or shanks, diverging arcuate hook arms terminating in tines smaller than the arms, thereby forming shoulders, a guard pivoted to each hook arm, each guard comprising a long arm having its outer end lying at right angles to the body thereof for producing a tine-shield, said shield having a tine receiving opening and a short arm projecting rearwardly and terminating in a finger at approximately right angle thereto, a U shaped housing situated between the parallel parts of the twin hooks, the fingers of the guards projecting into said housing, a spring mounted within said housing and engaging the fingers of the guards for normally forcing said guards in that direction which will cause the tine shield to lie beyond the ends of the tines, a cam journaled within the housing and coacting with the guard fingers for forcing said guards in the opposite direction against the action of the spring, and means secured to the eyes of the hook members and to the cams for supporting and joining said hook members and releasing the cams.

8. In a device of the character stated, a pair of hook members, each comprising twin hooks consisting of an eye, diverging portions rojecting from said eye, parallel portions or shanks, diverging arcuate hook arms terminating in tines smaller than the arms, thereby forming shoulders, a guard pivoted to each hook arm, each guard comprising a long arm having its outer end lying at right angle to the body thereof for producing a tine shield, said shield having a tine receiving opening therein and a short arm projecting rearwardly and terminating in a finger at approximately right angle thereto, a U shaped housing situated between the parallel parts of the twin hooks, the fingers of the guards projecting into said housing, a spring mounted within said housing and engaging the fingers of the guards for normally forcing said guards in that direction which will cause the tine shield to lie beyond the ends of'the tines, a cam, a bolt passing through the side walls of the housing and said cam for journaling said cam within the housing, a nut on the end of said bolt, a lever carried by said cam, said cam lever terminating in a rib at the back of the cam, and means connected to the eyes of the hook members for supporting and joining them together and connected to the ribs of the cams for releasing said cams.

9. In a device of the character stated, a pair of hook members, each comprising twin hooks consisting of an eye, diverging portions projecting from said eye, parallel portions or shanks, diverging arcuate hook arms terminating in tines smaller than the arms, thereby forming shoulders, a guard pivoted to each hook arm, each guard comprising a long arm having its outer end lying at right angle to the body thereof for producing a tine shield, said shield having a tine receiving opening therein and a short arm projecting rearwardly and terminating in a finger at approximately right angle thereto, a U shaped housing situated between the parallel parts of the twin hooks, the fingers of the guards projecting into said housing, a spring mounted within said housing and engaging the fingers of the guards for normally forcing said guards in that direction which will cause the tine shield to lie beyond the ends of the tines, a cam, a bolt passing through the side walls of the housing and said cam for j ournaling said cam within the housing, a nut on the end of said bolt, a lever carried by said cam, said cam lever terminating in a rib at the back of the cam, a keylink having a large loop and an auxiliary loop connected to the eye of the hook member by means of the large loop, a connecting link secured to the cam rib and to the auxiliary loop, and a chain for connecting the keylinks, whereby the two hook members are joined together, said chains when drawn taut releasing the cams and drawing the keylinks into supporting position for the hook members.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto affixed our signatures in the presence of subscribing witnesses.

ANTON F. MAZOGH. EDWARD SLADECEK.

Witnesses:

ST. CLAIR RAMsEY, B. M. MCLAUGHLIN.

flopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

